Since Mike has one and his permit stipulates that his work be done by a licensed electrician it would be a shame to have all that work get "shut down" by a building inspector should one decide to slide by and check the place out. Not all areas require that permits be pulled for structures. Some requirements are based on size, use, location etc. I lucked out on mine because I made it less than 100 square feet and it's not considered a "habitable" structure. It was still built to code by a licensed contractor, if anything it's OVER BUILT since Scott and Donny from BYO did the work. While it may sometimes be a popular belief that it's OK to bend the rules to get what you want Mikes decision to play by them makes good sense. When it comes to electricity, wooden structures and a home with children DOING IT RIGHT is the right thing to do. Nothing would be more heartbreaking at this point than to cut some corners and have a problem later because of it. Hang in there Mike, it'll come together!